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This week in optometry: August 7-August 11
Catch up on what happened in optometry during the week of August 7-August 11.
Catch up with what Optometry Times®' shared this week:
(Adobe Stock / New Africa)
Optometry news
A practical guide to the best of the current multifocal IOLs
Oliver Kuhn-Wilken, OD; Gleb Sukhovolskiy, OD
The field of presbyopia-correcting IOLs has been evolving rapidly. Several new IOLs have entered the market in the past few years, and more are expected to become available in the future. Helping our patients navigate the decisions regarding these lenses often improves their satisfaction after cataract surgery. Patients look to us for advice on whether to consider a presbyopia-correcting IOL, what attributes to prioritize in their choice of lens, and whether their postoperative visual experiences are typical. Despite immense amounts of online information, this information is often hard to discover, obscured by marketing, and difficult to verify.
Paul Hahn, MD, PhD, shares insights on pegcetacoplan versus avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy
Paul Hahn, MD, PhD; Sydney Crago, Editor, Modern Retina; David Hutton, Managing Editor, Ophthalmology Times
Paul Hahn, MD, PhD, shared insights on research comparing the relative efficacy of pegcetacoplan versus avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy presented at the 2023 ASRS annual meeting.
EyeCon 2023: 2 days of education for optometrists, ophthalmologists
Marlisa Miller, Editorial Intern
EyeCon is a unique meeting experience combining optometry and ophthalmology tracks, with presentations and educational opportunities on the hottest topics in eye care. It will be held December 1 to 2, 2023, in Sanibel Harbour, Florida. Optometry Times spoke with Kelly Nichols, OD, PhD, MPH, FAAO; and Paul Chous, OD, MA, FAAO, the cochairs of EyeCon, to get a comprehensive overview on what to expect and what to be excited for during this meeting.
Concern over unknown long-term effects of wildfire smoke
Martin David Harp, Associate Editor, Ophthalmology Times
With 2023 officially being the worst wildfire season ever in Canada, ophthalmologists are urging for more awareness on the long-term effects wildfire smoke can have on the eye.
Wind has pushed the wildfire smoke across Canada and several states in the United States, causing major dips in air quality – at one point New York City had the worst air quality on the planet due to the wildfire smoke.
There are currently over 1000 active wildfires burning in Canada, with 740 of them being labeled as “out of control” by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Over 5000 wildfires have started in Canada this year, according to the CIFFC.1
Historic signing at AOA: All about the 13% Promise
Emily Kaiser, Assistant Managing Editor
Optometry has a representation problem, and Black EyeCare Perspective is challenging the industry to address it with their 13% Promise.
As of 2020, 1.8% of practicing optometrists are Black, and in 2021, 3.0% of optometry students are Black. Compare this to the 13% of Black citizens who make up the US population,2 and you can see the disparity of representation in the industry.
“There’s a big [gap] in between those 2 numbers. [The 13% Promise] is really about saying, ‘Hey guys, we know there’s a problem, let’s put a numerical value to the problem and let’s work that out,’” said Adam Ramsey, OD, cofounder of Black EyeCare Perspective. “Let’s find ways to increase representation. Let’s get creative. [Let’s get] diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to be important. We need that to be at the forefront of what we’re doing, here, in eye care.”
Meeting the need: Screening parameters for presbyopia-correcting drops
Cathleen M. McCabe, MD; Donna L. Shotwell, OD
When presbyopia-correcting drops were introduced, many eye care providers thought they would be a quick, easy fix for the unhappy presbyopes in our offices, perhaps envisioning wide distribution of samples and on-demand prescribing. That was probably never the best approach, especially when non-eye care practitioners started prescribing the medication.
Late 2022 saw the publication of several case reports1-3 of patients who experienced retinal detachment (RD), retinal tears, or vitreomacular traction following the use of topical pilocarpine 1.25% (Vuity; Allergan/AbbVie) for presbyopia correction. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery convened a task force and issued recommendations.4 Allergan/AbbVie updated the warnings and precautions section of Vuity’s labeling to clarify the risk of RD, especially in patients with prior retinal problems.
Visionix USA launches new finishing solution to give opticians an edge in lens fit and quality
Kassi Jackson, Editor
Visionix USA has announced their latest lens technology, the Briot Attitude 3, which offers a customizable eyewear experience.1 The Briot Attitude 3 is crafted to specifically increase in-house finishing capabilities and qualities to reduce the rate of remakes, making it suitable to practice owners who are also looking to save on their lab bills.1 The accuracy and speed of Briot Attitude 3 make it an optimal lens processing solution for modern optical practices.
“The new Briot Attitude 3 continues the legacy of our popular Briot Attitude system, this version is powered by innovation that takes the production of high-quality eyewear to the next level,” said John Vulich, the National Sales Manager for Finishing Solutions in North America.
